The UM VLE 2014/15 is based on an upgraded version of Moodle 2.6. Compared to the previous VLE 2013/14 (based on Moodle 2.4), the upgraded VLE brings new enhancements that improve its usability. The resources and activities are very similar to VLE 2013/14, and there are no changes to the theme (look-and-feel) of the VLE interface.

Some changes and new features in UM VLE 2014/15 include:

The News Forum has been renamed to Class Announcements to better reflect its purpose, i.e. that of posting notifications regarding the study-unit.

The Settings block is now called the Administration block. This block contains the same items as before, with the addition of Reports. The latter option was previously available in the Navigation block.

The Move icon is now to the left of each learning resource/activity, making it easier to move these by dragging & dropping. The Move icon was previously to the right of the resources/activities, along with other editing icons.

The Editing icons are now grouped in a drop-down menu. These icons were previously arranged in a horizontal line to the right of each resource/activity.

The Text Editor has a new look and is more user-friendly. It has new icons and works better on different devices. The Text Editor can be toggled between one and three rows.

The Study-unit settings screen features collapsible sections that can be expanded to show setting fields. All settings screens in the VLE have been restructured and grouped under expandable headings.

Forums can now display Word Count of discussion posts. The number of words will be visible to both tutors and students.

The enhancements mentioned above make the VLE accessible over a wider range of browsers and devices.

Additionally, the UM VLE 2014/15 features an upgraded Turnitin (plagiarism detection software). Some changes and new features in this upgrade include:

Tutors can find and update all the Turnitin assignment activity settings, including the start and due dates, from one screen.

The submission inbox has been revamped for both tutors and students.

Students can now drag-and-drop files into Turnitin assignment activities for submission purposes.

Tutors are now able to duplicate Turnitin assignment activities in order to facilitate the creation of multiple assignment activities.